Rhadi Ferguson facts for kids

Rhadi Bullard Ferguson (born April 3, 1975) is an American athlete. He was a professional mixed martial artist and is also a coach and motivational speaker. He holds high-level black belts in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Early Life and Judo Career

Rhadi grew up in Miami, Florida, in the United States. He started training in judo at age 6. His first coach was Jack Williams, who was a very high-ranking judo expert. Rhadi trained with him until he was 12 years old.

His family then moved to Rockville, Maryland. Rhadi had to stop judo for several years. He did not start training again until he finished college at age 22.

Rhadi Ferguson became a 4-time national champion in judo. When he was 29, he competed in judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. He competed in the men's half-heavyweight division. He had also been an alternate for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Coaching and Other Martial Arts

From 2009 to 2011, Rhadi was the Head Coach for the Bahamas Judo Federation. He led their team at the 2009 World Judo Championships. He also coached at the 2009 Cadet World Judo Championships. Later, in 2018, he was an Assistant Coach for the World Judo Championships. This event was held in Nassau, Bahamas.

Rhadi was also an Assistant Coach for Team USA. This was at the 2009 Grappling World Championships. Team USA won gold medals in both men's and women's team competitions. They won in both Gi (with uniform) and No Gi (without uniform) grappling.

Besides judo, Rhadi Ferguson also has a 5th-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He competed in many jiu-jitsu and grappling tournaments. He was part of a famous team called American Top Team. He earned his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in 2006.

Rhadi has coached many well-known athletes. Some of them include Thiago Alves, Brandon Vera, and Bobby Lashley.

Education and Achievements

Rhadi Ferguson graduated from Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland, in 1992. He then attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. He went there from 1992 to 1997 on a football scholarship.

He was one of the few students in the school's history to play three sports. He played football, wrestling, and track. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. In 2002, he received his Master of Arts in teaching. He earned a perfect 4.0 GPA for his master's degree. In 2009, he earned his Ph.D. in education from Capella University, also with a 4.0 GPA.

While at Howard University, he joined the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Rhadi Ferguson was inducted into the Howard University Athletic Hall of Fame as an individual in 2014. His 1993 Black College National Championship Football Team was also inducted in 2014. In 2023, his 1995 Conference wrestling team was also honored. He is the only person to be inducted into the Howard University Hall of Fame three times. He is also the only wrestler from an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to compete in the Olympic Games.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Rhadi Ferguson started his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career in August 2010. He won his first two fights by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the first round. He fought in the Light heavyweight division.

He made his Strikeforce debut on January 7, 2011. He was supposed to fight Ion Cherdivara, but a last-minute change brought in John Richard. Rhadi defeated John Richard by submission (kneebar) in the third round.

Rhadi Ferguson retired from MMA with a perfect record of 3 wins and 0 losses.

Personal Life

Rhadi Ferguson currently lives in South Florida. He has two children: a son named Rufus Alexander and a daughter named Rhadi Isabelle. His cousin was Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, a well-known street fighter and UFC veteran.

Mixed Martial Arts Record

See also

In Spanish: Rhadi Ferguson para niños